Bore riders for launching of projectiles



June 12, 1962 w. R. NoYEs ETAL BORE RIDERS FOR LAUNCHING OF PROJECTILES Filed Sept) 26, 1958 3,038,382 BORE RIDERS FOR LAUNCHING F PROJECTILES William R. Noyes, Silver Spring, and Edwin W. Eagleson,

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon and therefor.

The present invention relates to bore riders to be attached to missiles of the rocket type to enable the missiles to be launched from guns having riiiing as well as smooth bore tubes.

Heretofore the launching of self-propelled missiles required special tubes or guns which had risers or tracks along their length for the rockets to ride on. These were part of the launching tube or were inserted in the tube as a separate part. For each size rocket a different tube or separate inserts were needed.

The object of the present invention is to provide a means which can be temporarily attached to a self-propelled missile and which will center said missile in a gun or launching tube and provide riders for engaging the wall of the gun or tube.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a temporary support for a self-propelled missile which can be attached to the missile and remain attached to the missile during its travel in the gun but which will detach itself upon the missile leaving the gun.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a bore rider to be attached to self-propelled missiles that will ride on the lands of a riiied gun so that a special launching tube is not needed.

lt is a still further object to provide adaptor launching means in the form of a Ibore rider for a self-propelled missile which can be attached to the missile without special fastening devices on the missile and which will automatically detach itself from the missile, thus leaving the missile without encumbrance.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. l is a longitudinal cross section of the missile in a sun;

FIG. 2 is an end view;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation; and

FIG. 4 is an end View of a modified form of bore rider.

Referring particularly to FIGS. l, 2 and 3, a gun barrel 8 is shown having riiiing consisting of spiral lands 10 and spiral grooves 10. Inserted in gun barrel 8 is a self-propelled missile 12, here shown with a booster 14. The missile is here shown with spaced bore riders 16 While the booster is provided with a single bore rider 18 of a modied form (FIG. 4). Arrow (A) shows the direction of launch.

The booster and its attached bore rider 18 will detach itself from the missile when its fuel is exhausted but the bore riders 16 detach themselves from the missile upon leaving the gun barrel.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3, the missile 12 is shown having the usual fins 20. The adaptor launch means comprise -bore riders 16 which are made up of four separate brackets 22 having legs 24 fitting on each 3,033,382 i Patented June 12, 1962 side of the fins 20. The legs 24 are closely spaced and closely engage the fins 20, substantially preventing circumferential movement of the brackets relative to fins 20.

The body portions 26 of brackets 16 have convex surfaces 28 which have longitudinal and circumferential lengths greater than the width of grooves 10 as clearly shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, whereby, surfaces 28 only engage lands 10 and ride over grooves 10'. Brackets 16 may be constructed of a plastic or light metal.

The inner surface 29 of the bracket body 26 is inclined with relation to the cylindrical wall of the missile and to the convex surface 28, which last two sur-faces are substantially parallel. This inclined surface serves to detach the bore rider from the missile as will be hereinafter described in greater detail. Each pair of legs 24 forward of the tins carries a pin 30 which is firmly secured to the bracket by molding or cementing for plastic and welded for metal, and fits into a hole 31 in the cylindrical Wall of the missile. The pins 30 of the four brackets serve to retain the bore rider while in the gun barrel or launching tube but easily leave the holes 31 under the outward force exerted by the air impinging upon surfaces 29 after clearing the muzzle of the gun.

Midway of the body portion and on the outward side, the convex sur-face 2S is interrupted by a groove 32. The groove is adapted to receive a rubber band 34 or other elastic securing means such as a coiled spring to bind the four brackets together to form the bore rider. The elastic band serves to hold the legs 24 securely on the tins until the missile leaves the gun.

The bore rider shown in FIG. 4 is a modified form of the rider of iFlG. 3 and is particularly adapted to be used on a booster. On the booster there is no need to provide a self-detaching bore rider as the booster detaches itself from the missile. The fins 36 of the booster 14 have secured to them by adhesive, rivets or other suitable means, shoes 38 each having an outer convex surface 40 similar to surface 28 which serves the same purpose as the surface 28 riding on lands 10 of gun barrel 8 or on the inner surface of a launching tube (not shown).

The bore rider is used by attaching each of the brackets to a tin and fitting the pin 30 into the holes in the missile wall, and then securing all four brackets together by the elastic band 34. The convex surfaces riding on the inside of the gun hold the missile centralized inthe `gun and immediately upon the missile leaving the gun or launching tube the air impinging on the inclined surfaces 29 rips the brackets from the fins, pulling the pins 30 from the hobs, the light elastic band breaking under the strain. The bore rider detaches itself almost immediately as it leaves the gun barrel 8 or the respective launching tube.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that Within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination; a gun having a barrel portion, a self-propelled missile to be launched from said gun, said missile having a plurality of stabilizing fins circumferentially spaced about said missile, said barrel portion having riiiing along the interior surface thereof, said rifling consisting of spiral land portions interspaced by spiral groove portions, the inner diameter of said spiral portions being greater than the internal diameter of said spiral land portions, at least two sets of bore riders removably attached to said missile, the outer diameter of said bore riders being equal to the inner diameter of said land portions within selected tolerances, one of said sets of bore riders aosasea including a plurality of separate bracket members, each of said bracket members having a body portion and a pair of legs integrally formed therewith, a separate one of said bracket members being tted over selected ones of said plurality of stabilizing ns on said missile, said body portion being arcuate and engaging said land portions of said gun to center said missile in said gun, said bracket members being releasably secured to said stabilizing ns whereby said bore riders ride solely on said land portionsduring launching of said missile from said gun.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said at least one set of bore riders further includes rupturable means securing the bracket members of said one set to said missile, and means for automatically rupturing said rupturable means and separating said bracket members from said missile immediately upon the passage of said set of bore riders from said gun barrel during the launching of said missile.

3. The combination of claim `2 wherein said means for automatically rupturing said rupturable means and separating said bracket members from said missile is aerodynamically responsive.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,115,028 Logan Apr. 26, 1938 2,247,563 Spalding July 1, 1941 2,315,207 Janecek et al Mar. 30, 1943 2,383,053 Fanger et al Aug. 21, 1945 2,470,489 Hopkins May 17, 1949 2,715,874 Hablutzel et al Aug. 23, 1955 2,788,744 Donner Apr. 16, 1957 2,798,433 Allan July 9, 1957 2,870,711 'Barr et al Ian. 27, 1959 

